Bodegas Navarro, S.A.    

CLIMATE AND SOIL

The soil is a fundamental factor in the quality of all wines especially in the fortified wines produced and aged in the Montilla-Moriles Denomination of Origin. Thus the statutory historical classification to which we have referred when talking of areas.

From ancient times, vine growers have known which is the best land for obtaining unique, fine and delicate wines with a natural high alcoholic degree. As it will be seen later on, the fact that the emplacement of a great part of the vineyards is in white hilly terrain called ‘alberos’ or ‘albarizas’, in the south of Cordoba’s province is not by chance.

The ‘albarizas’ are soils rich in calcium carbonate (limestone) with topsoil and subsoil made up of soft marl, poor in natural organic matter, not very fertile, and with a simple mineral composition – practically lime and silica -, with a layered and lumpy structure and a low proportion of chloride and sulphate. The subsoil has a high humidity retaining capacity (around 30%).

Vines do not demand rich soils. On the contrary, they can live on marginal poor soils, provided that they are deep. Its corkscrew type root reaches more than four metres down searching for water and nutrition allowing it to survive in hot dry climates where rain is scarce and, in summer, non-existent on occasions. Logically, for the root to be able to reach such a depth, the topsoil and subsoil have to be penetrable. These should not be made up of hard rock since the root would come up against a natural uncrossable barrier that would not let it continue down. Additionally, especially in the southern regions, in summer, the period of greatest activity of the vine, the soil should be capable of retaining the greater part of the water from the rainy months of the year. In this way the root can obtain sufficient humidity for the plant to be able to survive and give ideal ripe fruit after suffering very high temperatures. The first class ‘alberos’ are capable of retaining up to 33% of their weight in water. This humidity will be slowly released to the vine during the long, dry, hot Cordovan summer, a long way away from the fresh sea-coast breezes.

It is neither a good thing for the future quality of the wine for the subsoil to be flooded. The root, which needs to breathe and eliminate toxins, acts negatively to an excess of humidity, it rots. For this reason it is advisable to plant the vines on a slope, facing south if possible. The slope allows natural drainage of excess water as well as increasing the longevity of the vineyard and improving the quality of the grapes. A correct orientation will additionally obtain the best ripeness of the fruit.

Thinking of ideal soils to obtain quality wines, especially the traditional Cordovan Fine, means finding land of limey soil and subsoil in which, as from a depth of seventy centimetres, the calcium carbonate content is, at least, 40% increasing with depth reaching 50% or even up to 60%. Without forgetting the commented slopes.

The white soil is the best quality soil for vines. In second place we find slightly darker soils that cover the limestone rich subsoil.

It should not be forgotten that the vine’s second level rooting takes place in the first seventy centimetres and that the quality of the fruit comes from the main root that, on occasions and as already mentioned, reaches a depth of more than four metres.

After reading these paragraphs, the reader will find him/herself within the Montilla-Moriles production areas, especially those in the Sierra de Montilla, formed in the Cretaceous period, or in Moriles Altos, from the Oligocene period. We should add that, without exception, all the most famous wines in the world come from terrains formed during one of these two geological periods.

The soils called Ruedos which are less adequate for obtaining the best quality grapes, although are appropriate for the production of other types of wines range from excellent “albero” soil to clay soils. Currently investigation is under way to integrate all existing high quality “albariza“ soils considered Ruedos in the Denomination of Origin Superior Quality areas.

Other soils with a high content of silica are to be found in the Montilla-Moriles area, in the towns of Montemayor and Puente Genil, in which the Pedro Ximénez variety is cultivated. This mineral causes an intense light refraction which brings forward the ripening of the grape ahead of the rest of the area, providing must at the end of August rich in sugars (up to 238 grams per litre). These grapes are usually partially sun dried to be used in the production of the singularly sweet Pedro Ximénez wine.

The quality difference of the must from one soil to another can be noticed on finishing the harvest. After several years of ageing such difference is very noticeable. As we said before, our remote ancestors knew where to plant the vines to obtain very fine quality wines.

                                                           

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